To the river with Fritz, Gretel, Wolfie

The desert continues its bloom. Cottonwood trees have slowed down their aerial seeding, but now tent caterpillars are moving in.

Spring has sprung

Carr Peak with Gretel

The sky was still hazy from the prescribed burn last Friday, but this morning there were darker clouds moving in from California.  Rain was predicted for the afternoon. This was our first post heat-dome weather.   I had a dinner with Ellen's parents at 6pm, so what better time to hike up Carr again.  I haven't been up there since December with Margot. 

Getting the right dog alone for a hike is always a big chore.I had four dogs in the back yard and Gretchen inside the house.  She acted very scared around the other dogs and I'm assuming they had attacked her this weekend.  This way she wouldn't stress out in my absence.  I took her on a short pee walk and left the house shortly after 10am with Gretel. She was long overdue a solor hike.

We got to the Sawmill trailhead at 10:49am.  It was 65F. We were the only vehicle at the trailhead.  Skies were still hazy from smoke rather than clouds, although two hours later, at the peak, it was thundering.  This thunder scared Gretel and she stayed right behind me for the descent.

It never did rain during my hike.  The dark clouds moved north of the mountain range.  The temperature remained mild with no breeze, which is typical just before a storm. I hiked at a steady pace, but noticably slower than usual with many short breaks to get my breathing back to normal.

The spring was barely trickling, but there was enough water in the tub for Gretel to drink.  The waterfall was also dry.

As for flowers, I saw mostly dandelion along the lower elevation, and a purple prostate flower near the peak and yellow prostate on the peak. The aspen are still leafless but the elms are budding.  The post 2011 pines all have healthy candles growing.  

Ravens circled overhead near the peak.

I met one person on the hike.  She was coming down the peak as we were ascending.  I recognized her from a hike in the Perimeter parking lot on Christmas Eve!  She is Kathy from St David, who drives an hour most weekends to hike the trails solo.

I was back at the car by 2:30pm and back home by 3pm.  Gretel napped the rest of the day.  She was too tired to bully Gretchen.  I kept the other four dogs outside until I got home from my dinner with Ellen, her parents, and Brenda and Gordon, old hiking friends I hadn't seen in years.

AZT at Oak Tree Canyon trailhead with Zana

 

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